In recent years, apparatuses each having a communication function of a wireless local area network (LAN) have been in widespread use. As examples of such apparatuses, various apparatuses are mentioned such as a smartphone also having a mobile communication function in a mobile communication service, a personal computer (PC), a tablet terminal, a portable game device, a digital camera, and a printer.
Generally, an apparatus having a function of wireless LAN communication connects to a network through wireless LAN communication with an access point. As another way of connection that does not use an access point, the apparatus may connect, for example, to a mobile communication terminal, and connect to a network through mobile communication performed by the mobile communication terminal. That is, the apparatus may connect to a network by tethering.
If the apparatus also has a mobile communication function, the apparatus may perform authentication, for example, by use of a subscriber identity module (SIM). If the authentication succeeds, the apparatus may connect to a network through wireless LAN communication with an access point. Specifically, for example, the apparatus may perform extensible authentication protocol (EAP)-SIM authentication to connect to a network through wireless LAN communication with an access point. For example, PTL 1 discloses a technique for cooperatively authenticating multiple apparatuses in EAP-SIM authentication.